Leap
by Serah Hawke
Summary: When Alistair learned of the destruction of Lothering,he could only thing of one person. Ever since a few chance meetings, Marian Hawke and Alistair have lead different lives, but when they meet again, they make the most of it. Hawkistair! Slight AU
1. Chapter 1: At the Beginning

**Leap**_  
>Serah Hawke<em>

"_We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment...and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap."_

**Description:** When Alistair learned of the destruction of Lothering, all he could think was that the world had lost a wonderful person. Ever since a few chance meetings, Marian Hawke and Alistair have lead different lives, but when they meet again, they know not to let the chance pass by.

* * *

><p><em><span>Chapter 1:<span>_ _At The Beginning_

* * *

><p>The Ruins of Ostagar were just as they sounded. Old, crackled stone that really didn't really look all that stable for an army, but they were there anyway. The Korcari Wilds looked dark behind her, and she was glad to be out of it. It was an insane place with noises you'd never want to hear again, and a few Darkspawn that had come at least a month ahead of the main group.<p>

Marian Hawke had ignored her brother's glares the whole way from Lothering, along with standard if-looks-could-kill when she was asked to travel ahead of the troop to alert the camp of their arrival.

Carver had insisted on being the only one in the family to go off with the King's army, but she wanted to get away from her childhood home. Her brother was always looking for something to spat with her about, but she was used to his insistent whining. It wasn't like they were going to be here straight to the battle. They were to be dispatched a few weeks before the battle was planned to happen, and be back before it started. Marian didn't understand the logic in this, but didn't question it anyway.

She rushed through a high, crumbled archway and through a few stationed guards, who asked which battalion she was from before granting her passage with a salute. The main camp was bursting with activity. Elf servants were running to and from tassel-adorned tents that were set up before a ramp, where soldiers were starting up their morning routines,

Marian had been marching all night, but her eyes were wide as she took in all of the views that the camp held. Templars guarded an enclosed area stiffened as she rushed by, their hands resting on the pummel of their heavy swords. A few mages were inside, their skin glowing a bright blue from under their clothes and through their open, unseeing eyelids. A red-haired elf looked sullen as she passed by, and a few heavily armored soldiers knelt in front of a small stage where a lay sister was reciting some kind of chant.

The girl was so into her observation of her surroundings that she hadn't seen the man until she'd slammed into him. He was like a brick wall, the wind having knocked out of her from her before the force of her fall. "Umf!"

"Well, this must just be my lucky day," a voice purred above her. Marian sat up slowly, regaining a part of her breath before glowering up at the man. It didn't look like he was very tall from her view, or that he'd shaved in a view days. His dark hair seemed almost black and was cropped rather short. She saw a disgruntled women in heavy armor make an escape from the corner of her eye. Marian could only guess it was from him.

The way he was leering at her made her uncomfortable. She'd seen men look at her like that for a while now, but never one that seemed so... well, like he would actually do something about it. Unless you counted that man in Lothering, but Carver had seen him look at her sister, Bethany that way, and last they'd heard of him, he'd left for Denerim.

Marian started to stand, ignoring any hand that was offered from her. She did not want to touch this... man. "I don't need your help."

She looked at his face, seeing his eyes flicker down to her body as she held up her persistent stance. She probably didn't look the best, no better than a Chasind, most likely. She'd been running through and sleeping in the mud all the way from Lothering without even the slightest hint of a bath. Her face felt heavy and sticky, her hands felt like they would need to be scrubbed with an iron whisk if they were to be clean again.

He nodded, obviously not agreeing to her statement. "Well, you're in uniform, so you must not be that new recruit that Duncan has set out to find. Although, he did just leave yesterday..." He smiled in a cat-who-caught-the-cannery kind of way. "My name is Davith, milady."

Marian wrinkled her nose. "Good to know. Now, if you please, I have to get going-"

When she tried brushing around him, he stepped with her, blocking her path. "Oh, don't be a spoil sport! I told you my name, you tell me yours, yeah?"

"I'm really not interested, thank you," she hinted as politely as she could. "Now, I was sent ahead of my troop to report that they would be arriving in a few days, so please excuse me."

Davith kept up his smug smile, and if she hadn't found his manners to be so repulsive, then she may have thought that he was handsome. "It's just proper etiquette!" he insisted. Marian managed to get around to his right by faking like she would go to his left.

Marian had just about had it when she felt his hand on her arm, but when she turned around to blow up on him, she felt his hand being wrenched off of her elbow. She blinked at the man that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He was a few inches taller than Davith, his splint-mail making himself seem bulkier than the smaller man. His sandy hair was short, styled so that it stuck up a bit in the front. His face was as clean cut as you could get when on the front lines. His jaw wasn't as sharp as Davith's, his cheeks more rounded than the darker man's gaunt ones. His golden eyes met with hers after his scrutiny, his tanned cheeks growing a little redder than before.

"Ummm..." he trailed off, then seemed to remember himself. "Davith, that is no way to treat a women, even if she is in the army, you still must treat her with respect."

Davith snickered. "It's not like you really know how to treat a women, do you Chantry Boy?"

It took the blond a moment to understand the perverse statement truly before he glanced back at Marian before looking back down at his feet. "I... just shove off, Davith, okay? And don't talk to your superior in such a suggestive way!"

Davith laughed shortly, turning back to Marian. "I will know your name, pretty." Marian almost thought she heard cackling as he went off.

Her 'savior' sighed when Davith had finally left. "Are you alright?"

Marian blinked at him, wondering how in the world such a good looking man was so well-mannered, yet so self-conscious. "Oh, no harm done, you may have saved him from being hurt, though- I mean, he was making me pretty mad, and..." she sighed, trying to recover from such a blubbering mess that she had gotten herself into. "Well, I grew up with a brother who thinks of everything as a competition, so I have a few tricks up my sleeve... so to say."

He smiled at her shortly before removing his glove and holding his hand out to her. "I'm Alistair, a junior Grey Warden here at the camp."

Marian's eyes widened. That's right, she'd been told that there would be Grey Wardens here at the encampment. When she was a child, she'd heard many bedtime stories about Grey Wardens. Some of them were just so unbelievable! To think that they used to ride around on griffins and could take down a whole army of darkspawn without letting anyone else get hurt? It used to blow her mind. She'd always envisioned Grey Wardens to be these giants that didn't even speak the common tongue. Now, there was one standing right in front of her, only a few inches taller than herself.

This Alistair was actually quite handsome. He was not like the battle-worn barbarians that she'd heard about. Her mind wandered to a tale that she'd heard from a traveling merchant that had been through Lothering a few years back. She'd just started growing into herself and she was still uncertain of things. The woman had attracted a bunch of the teenage girls with her tales of romance. One of which being about about a Grey Warden passing by a young woman's village. It had taken Marian quite a while to get what the women meant by the Warden's 'legendary endurance and stamina'.

"Are you sure you're well? He didn't hurt you or anything? You look sort of feverish..." Alistair asked suddenly, ripping the girl out of her thoughts. Marian didn't need to see her face to know that it had to be red, even through the grime. She went to glance down at her feet, but Alistair was standing close enough that she saw his feet and had to look back up.

"I-I'm fine. I just think that I'll need to wash myself, soon. This mud is insulating me with heat," a half-truth. Marian always tried to avoid lying, but she still couldn't meet Alistair's eyes. Her thoughts kept venturing to thoughts of the blond Warden in ways that she knew weren't proper. She thanked the Maker that she didn't know what she was thinking.

Then, a sudden thought came across her mind. _What if he _can _hear my thoughts? What if all of the wardens can read my thoughts? _

"Right, well it was nice meeting you, I have to go bye!" Marian didn't care if her words were jumbled together and may have not made much sense, because she just had to get out of there. She could practically feel his gaze on her as she ran passed him with renewed energy. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. How embarrassing!

It wasn't until after she'd delivered the message she'd been given by her captain that she had time to cool down. She snuck around the camp until she made it to the soldier's tents, happy when she found an area that she could scrub away the grime from her body. Her thoughts kept flying back to Alistair and her conversation with him. Could he have known what she was thinking? He must think she was some kind of freak for taking off the way she did!

She groaned, taking out her embarrassment on her muddied arms with the rough cloth material. To think that she'd meet such an attractive man and not have the guts to talk to him like a normal person. She'd been around men her entire life, she'd grown up fighting them and ignoring their jeers. Now, she had one unpure thought and she couldn't handle it? She hadn't even been able to tell him her name in return for his!

She paused in her scrubbing. _Didn't that guy call him 'Chantry Boy'? _

"He's celibate!" she nearly screamed, trying to ignore any of the passing by soldiers. She clapped a hand over her mouth and ducked down. With her luck, even _Alistair _had heard that! And now her mind was filled with even _more _unpure thoughts! She felt light headed and dizzy. The Maker save her!

Whatever sleep Marian had gotten had been restless. She tossed and turned on the hard ground, her dreams filled with soldiers on winged creatures flying into battle and ones about everyone around her hearing her thoughts and calling her a whore. When she finally gave up on sleep it wasn't yet dark out, and she could smell the grub that was being made on the campfire not far away. She felt slightly embarrassed as she exited her tent after dressing and heard her stomach growl out for food. She'd been too nerve-wracked to eat anything before, and now she was feeling it full on.

There was a crowd of hungry soldiers around the pots, a few trying to push others out of their way to be in front. Marian sighed when she saw this, but stepped in line non the less, ignoring the glances she got when her stomach decided to voice it's opinion on the wait ahead. "Oh, shut it, you!"

"You hungry?" Marian startled when she heard the voice, her whole body jerking around to look at it's source beside her. Three guesses as to who it was. "Ah! So it is you! You certainly look different, it's nice to see you've managed to rest a bit- not that you didn't look fine before, that is. I'm just saying that you look much more pleasing to the eye now, you know? I'm just going to stop there before I make even more of a fool of myself." Alistair stuck out a hand, in which her held a bowl full of a grey steaming concoction. "Here, I got this for a companion, but he won't be back for some time and is eating elsewhere, and I saw you about and wanted to see how you were doing."

Marian blinked, her mind going into overtime to process his words individually. She had a hard time thinking when her mind kept chanting '_Celibate, celibate, celibate...'_ every other word. She plastered on a smile, ignoring the growing wooziness and blaming it on her hunger. "I'm doing fine- great! Thank you for asking!" she felt like a puppet on strings, the way her limbs moved. She didn't remember commanding her arm to take the bowl, but it was there. "Thank you so much! I was so... exhausted earlier that I didn't get to eat."

Alistair gave her a smile that made her insides stammer, and she wondered how much of this her body could take before she shut down. She quickly dipped a spoon into the grub and shoved it in her mouth, chewing and swallowing without tasting. The moment she swallowed the first bite, she felt the overwhelming urge to just slurp it all down in one go.

Alistair, bless him, seemed to notice this. He let out a low laugh before pointing over to some shady trees a short distance away. "Wanna go sit down?"

Her body wasn't completely in her control, but she numbly remembered nodding before setting off alongside the junior warden. she'd almost finished a good half of the meal before they were sitting against the tree. Marian tried to ignore the gaze that she knew had to be on her as she swallowed the contents of the bowl. It wasn't silent for long. "King Cailan offered for the Grey Wardens to have tents in the main camp with him, but Duncan, our Commander, declined, so we're camped down with you guys, which I was happy of. There is only so much I can take of the King reciting his tales."

Marian wasn't sure what to say to that, but she kept eating when Alistair continued. "But this is my first time in a battle like this with the wardens, so I didn't think that the soldiers would whisper so much. I wish that I could just blend in with them, but they all seem to think of us as... inhuman."

It took her a second to form a response, but Marian had thought about it herself, even if it wasn't in the same way as many of the others may have, she had. "To tell you the truth, I half expect a griffin to swoop down here and for you to jump on it and fly off."

Alistair seemed to think this over, glancing at the cloudy sky. "I see. Swooping _is _bad, after all."

Marian giggled, continuing before her mind could catch up with her. "I doubt that many of the soldiers here have seen a Grey Warden. All we've heard are tales, and some myths that contradict each other. I don't know, it's just something that we have to get used to."

The blond Warden nodded, deep in his thoughts for a long minute while Marian ate. She chewed thoughtfully, her stomach having become satisfied enough for her to stop scarfing it down. She remembered a bit of their conversation yesterday, when she remembered that he didn't know her name. "Oh, by the way, my name is Marian Hawke from Lothering. I'm sorry that I forgot to tell you sooner, it slipped my mind."

Alistair's expression brightened. "Well met, Marian. I'm Alistair, and I'm hoping you've remembered. I didn't want to ask you, after hearing your... conversation with Davith, I didn't want to ask and seem like some sort of drooling lecher."

Marian snorted, ignoring how unlady-like it sounded. "Well, it was rude of me not to tell you earlier. You _did _attempt to save me. I don't think that classifies you as a lecher at all."

"Right! Not a lecher! Well, I suppose that is something to be proud of." his smile was warm as he regarded her. "Would I be bold to hope that I could be a friend?"

Marian paused for a moment, her thoughts returning to the '_Celibate, celibate, celibate!' _mantra before she could stop herself. _Wait! Who cares if he's Celibate! That doesn't mean that he can't be my friend, right? _She just wondered how long she could survive being this man's friend, but she was willing to find out.

She smiled at him. "No, I don't think that it is a very bold statement at all!"

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN:** I hope that you like that start! Awkward!Hawke is rather interesting to write, and I hope to get the next chapter in there soon! Please Review, it may help me get the next one out faster!

Please keep in mind that I'm horrible at editing my own work. See a problem? Please tell me!


	2. Chapter 2: Trouble

**Leap**

_Serah Hawke_

"_We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment...and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap."_

* * *

><p><strong>The Road So Far<strong>

(*sings* Carry on my Wayward son... They'll be peace when you are done! *stops singing*)

_Marian Hawke arrived at the ruins of Ostagar, and was unwillingly pursued by a rogue named Davith, and 'saved' by a Grey Warden Named Alistair. Unfortunately, between the innuendo-filled stories about Grey Wardens and his handsome looks, Marian couldn't help but stumble over her words and make a quick (albeit awkward) escape. Later, when she is in line for some supper, Alistair offers her his extra and they both agree to be friends._

… _and the author does a face-palm when she realizes just how clichéd her story is already..._

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: Trouble (I'm an Addict)<p>

There was at least another half a day before the rest of her troop was arriving, and Marian wasn't sure whether to be mourning this loss of freedom or be extremely board. It wasn't exactly her decision, but she was doing both. What was there to do when you couldn't train because you technical weren't there, therefor had no assigned group to train with, and you had already scrubbed your own boots at least twice just so that you had something to do. It wasn't like she would be able to sleep, she'd done that already. Lots of that. Lots of dreaming and all.

Dreaming, yes, Dreaming of home, of the legendary battle that was supposed to take place soon, of her handsome Grey Warden friend... was it possible to have dreamt more of one person in two nights then you've ever dreamt of anyone else? She was still not sure why exactly he was in her dreams. Sometimes he was just walking around, in the corner of her conscious eye, and sometimes he seemed to have quite the... lead role. Needless to say, she was quite bothered by it all.

Growing up in Lothering meant learning how to be a healer of sorts, or following around the soldiers and pestering them for their army tales. True or completely made up, the difference wasn't really important to a young girl who wanted nothing more than to relive them through her own eyes, to feel the weight of the sword in her hands.

Alistair had told her about his upbringing in Redcliffe, not to far from Lothering. He'd started out in the castle, but his jealous caretaker's wife had enough and soon he was thrown to live in the stables. "I was happier there than the castle, to tell you the truth," he'd said. She can remember him scratching his nose while doing so, looking into the open air as he recalled the memory. He'd been sent to the chantry, where he'd been trained to be a Templar for all those years.

That had made her stiffen. All of her life had been spent running from her father's templars, ans then running from her sisters as well. She pictured her sister's face when she told her that she'd befriended a Templar of all things. She felt like she was betraying her.

He had seemed to notice the expression on her face. "I never was able to take my vows, thank the Maker. Duncan saved me from that... place before that. I admit, I did a lot of things to try and stall them from making me take the oaths." She remembered his short, abrupt chuckle, and how it'd caught her off guard. "I've never really been one of the religious sort. I was stuck with cleanup and dish duty more times than I can count, and that's saying something because I can count pretty high."

She sighed wistfully, hearing his voice continue in her memory. She could listen to his talk for hours, and she had. Apparently, "While the Commander was away, the Grey Wardens shall play." She giggled to herself in the silence of her tent when she remembered the witty comment.

"Marian?" said girl startled, the familiar voice cutting through the silence more than she thought could be possible, like being abruptly waken from a daze. Then again, that's what she'd been doing all day. Maybe this was just her imagination carrying away again? That happened to her a few times, maybe it was just one of those things where the person wants it to happen, so they imagined it to happen, and it didn't really happen. Like a voice. They sound so real sometimes. "Marian, are you in there?"

Then again, imagination voices don't usually go much further than her name. If they do, it's not as real as this. She contemplated acting as if she were asleep. Her face was burning, and she wondered what he would do if he knew that she'd just been thinking about him. What would he do? She didn't picture him to be the kind of man to be rude about it... she imagined his laughing awkwardly and rubbing the back of his neck, and then her creativity kicked in and he was suddenly confessing that he'd been thinking of her nonstop

Oh, this heat was not going to leave her face anytime soon. She wondered if he'd just left yet or if he was still waiting for an answer. "Hey Mare?" Oh Maker...

"Mfh!" she started to respond, only to remember that she had her head shoved in her pillow. She shifted herself so that her hands were in front of her in the small tent, careful of the sides, and lifted up the flap. "Yes? Oh, hello Alistair."

He was kneeling near the tent, looking around at the empty area in which she had set it up. When she'd spoken his head snapped in her direction almost painfully fast. He voice sounded slightly scratchy and he wondered if she'd participated in the drinking that much longer than him last night and she had slept in this late. "Um... morning?"

Marian looked straight at him, but she couldn't find the courage to catch his eyes. Her mind was filled with thoughts of his voice saying things much, much different. Her thoughts most certainly had surprised her in the last few days. She was starting to think of herself as some kind of dirty pervert. Ever since gaining the knowledge that he was not celibate (and admittedly before then) she couldn't stop thinking about this man. She wanted to know him better, learn those small things about him that made up the man that he was.

"I was coming by to see if you wanted to spar, seeing as you haven't a troop to train with these last few days," he paused, observing her untamed hair. "But if you are indecent..."

"No no! I can be ready in just a moment! Let me get my armor!" she quite literally jumped at the chance to spend more time with Alistair. She quickly wormed back into the tent and made a grab for the worn leather armor she'd worn since before she could remember. Some of the buckles and straps had been replaced many times and the material well loved.

"Actually, I have something that you might like," Marian poked her head out to regard Alistair questioningly. She couldn't believe she'd missed the bundle in his arms. "These were left over from some of the Grey Warden's newer shipments, so it doesn't have the symbol on it yet, but I was wondering if... if you wanted it."

He held the armor out in from of him, letting her look at it. It hadn't been very worked in yet, the leather still holding it's shape from the cutters, and the torso looked much for comfortable for female soldiers compared to her old worn set. Some of the areas had small metal studs professionally crafted to not get in the way of the wearer, but strengthening the armor. It looked like it would need a few adjustments when she put it on, but the thought of having brand new armor made her giddy.

"Oh! For me? Are you sure, because this set looks so expensive!" She had to supress her inner explosion when he nodded sheepishly and waved it in her direction.

"No, it's for... umm..." he paused to think for a moment before letting out a short chuckle. "Of course it's for you, who else?"

"Thank you, thank you!" Marian slipped out of the tent and made quick work of the armor. It was slightly stiff, but still well conditioned. A few straps were tightened here and there, Alistair helping and giving advice when needed. "I still can't believe that you got me armor! How am I going to repay you?" She gushed when they started making their way to the training area.

"Hmm..." he stroked his chin, which didn't look like it'd seen a razor in a few days. Marian had to hold back a giggle at the sight. His expressions were always overdone, which made her like him all the more. He was certainly the easiest to read, but that made her feel much less anxious about worrying as to what he's thinking. "I'll have to think on that. For now I will have to just accept your friendship as payment." He leaned in closer, unknowingly causing Marian to squirm slightly. "I'll spring it on you when you don't expect it."

He pulled away to walk ahead a few strides. Marian wondered if her heart would ever beat normally when he was around. Something in her doubted it. There were only a few sparing soldiers left from the morning training. Most of the soldiers were back in the main camp receiving some sort of instruction. It wasn't much of a grand setup, it was chosen for the training because it was one of the only level grounded areas in this swampy area.

"Ready when you are," Alistair interrupted her thoughts, fixing the way his shield rested on his arm. Marian took a deep breath and reached back to grab the pummel of the twin blades strapped to her back. She unsheathed them carefully, watching him fiddle with his straps. She wondered briefly if she would make it out of this encounter.

Sparring with Alistair was almost like a dance that was never planned out, but the choreography was in both their heads. He seemed well worked with rogues like her, and she had a brief idea when it came to Warriors. They were usually the first to rush forward, but the technices he had were much different compared to Carver, who's one-handed Great-sword left him little room to maneuver, but had still been intent to chop her to pieces. With Alistair, his strikes were slightly faster, his aim and direction more accurate. He was a more seasoned warrior when it came to fighting, while she just did her best to stay out of his way for a good deal of the spar.

By the time they both decided to end it, Marian had a good feel for this new armor, and wasn't surprised when she had found herself feeling less resistance when she moves. The armor seemed to help her correct some of her stances. She no longer had those few pieces diggin into her back, so she was much less sore coming out of it.

They both decided to part for a short while in order to wash away the dirt and sweat that had built up during their exercise, and Marian had to start making her way to the bridge in order to be ready for her fellow troops' arrival.

Waiting on the bridge was never a very comfortable situation. If you weren't careful you were in the way of everyone, so Marian waited in a little alcove near the middle, where few stopped and she wasn't in their way. Alistair talked with her for a while of it, their conversation ranging from the silliest of things such as what they thought a Nug truly looked like or even their views on the upcoming battle.

"The King just seems so... childish about it all. At least, that's what I've heard," Marian said in dodgy way, going quiet when a soldier passed.  
>Alistair chuckled shortly, almost darkly. "Yes, he always seems to give off the vibe, doesn't he?"<p>

Marian noted the slightly awkward silence that followed that question, storing it to memory before picking up the conversation again. When talking with Alistair, Marian always wondered how they could have so much to say. She'd never been able to really sit down and hold such long conversations with someone before. Even when she was talking with her sister, they tended to have shorter conversations, and they communicated more with body language, like when they used to have their own language in gestures while they'd played. Marian wished she could remember all of it.

"Unfortunately, I believe that I have to go train with the other Wardens." Alistair frowned, nodding his head toward the camp's direction. Marian remembered the energy he put into sparring with her and winced. She wondered why he felt the need to do that for her when he was going to no doubt have grueling training right after.

"Alright," Marian put on a smile. "Thank you for staying so long, I'm sure they'll arrive soon."

Alistair paused, regarding her face slowly. She frowned when she saw the tell-tale crease over his eyes show, a sure indication that he was concentrating really hard on something. "Hey, weren't you only-"

"Help!"

Marian jumped at the unexpected shout, catching herself from tumbling off the bridge. Whatever Alistair was about to say was completely forgotten when she looked to see her brother unceremoniously dragging a blood-soaked individual across the bridge, his own armor tattered and his face pained with crimson life-blood. A few of the posted guards rushed by the Grey Warden and the girl, who had yet to move. She stood stock-still, her thoughts a jumbled mess without meaning.

"Hey!" she heard Alistair call over the ringing in her ears. "Come one!"

"Please, they ambushed us, there were these huge ones, they took us all out!" her trembling brother yelled as the guards approached. He coughed through his words, wiping access blood from around his eyes. It looked as if he'd been swimming in the stuff, but by the way he carried himself, he probably had been.

"Carver," she unintentionally whispered, her mind screaming for her to move. "CARVER!"

* * *

><p><em>An: I believe this is where you insert dramatic music and someone says 'DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!'_  
><em>Chapter title from NeverShoutNever! 's song 'Trouble'... XD I can usually could put aside more time to write about these two awesomely awkward characters, but I have finals coming up, so I'm sorry if they continue to be so spread out. Thank you reviewers so far! You give me that extra kick!<em>  
><em>Also, I couldn't help but to make that Supernatural reference in the beginning... really, my obsessions need to be held more in check! ;D<em>


End file.
